


you're gonna break my heart anyway (leave the pieces when you go)

by spiritsontheroof



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Arguing, Emotional Hurt, F/M, Getting Together, Not Actually Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:40:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23833258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiritsontheroof/pseuds/spiritsontheroof
Summary: Riley’s heart aches because it’s just not fair. It’s not fair that Desi gets to have everything she wants. Riley is not the kind to wonder if she isn’t good enough, has always known she’s amazing in her own right, but this has her wondering what Desi has that Riley doesn’t.
Relationships: Angus MacGyver/Desiree "Desi" Nguyen, Riley Davis & Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Riley Davis/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Wilt Bozer & Riley Davis (MacGyver TV 2016), just for a minute - Relationship
Comments: 15
Kudos: 165





	you're gonna break my heart anyway (leave the pieces when you go)

**Author's Note:**

> hey guys! another macriley fic for you guys. thanks to my babies in the MacRiley Stans group on tumblr for hyping me up.  
> title is leave the pieces by the wreckers  
> come see me on tumblr @spiritsontheroof, I take fic requests!

“What’s all this?” Mac asks, stunned by the boxes all over his living room. The boxes look filled to the brim with Riley’s things, her clothes and trinkets, spare rigs, her video games. If Mac didn’t know any better, he’d think Riley was leaving. 

“I’m moving out,” Riley calls from out in the spare room, walking in with another armful of clothes shortly after. She drops them on the couch and starts folding, sitting them neatly into the boxes on the table. 

Mac cocks his head, face falling as he stares at her like if he looks at her long enough, he can figure her out like one of his inventions. “Why?” 

Riley doesn’t look up, folding as fast as she can. “You and Desi deserve some space. I’m giving it to you.” She says, trying to keep her tone from sounding too bitter. 

That’s how she feels. Bitter. And if she’s being honest, she doesn’t have the right to be. Mac isn’t hers and he never has been, and she wants to be happy he has Desi, but she can’t. 

Mac shakes his head, eyebrows furrowing together. “No, Riley, you don’t have to do that. We don’t... you don’t have to go.” 

Riley moves to a different box, rearranging a few things so she can tape it shut. “It’s fine. I found a place and Bozer is helping me get moved in.” She says, tone short. 

“Riles, come on. You can stay here, there’s no sense in you leaving. I like having you here.” Mac explains, voice almost begging. 

Before Riley can stop herself, she looks up and asks, “Does Desi?” 

Mac flinches at the tone and hesitates. 

The hesitation is telling Riley all she needs to know. “That’s what I thought,” she says and looks away. 

Mac doesn’t know what he’s supposed to say to that, so he just stands silently. 

“Riley,” Mac says after a few minutes, “please. If we’re making you uncomfortable, say so.” 

Riley sits down the things she’s holding and pushes her hair out of her eyes, sighing heavy. 

“Mac. It’s not that. Please just leave it alone, okay? I’ll be gone by tonight.” Riley begs, voice threatening to break. 

“No, I’m not leaving it alone. Tell me why you’re doing this.” Mac says, voice almost desperate. 

“I have to, okay? I can’t stay here.” Riley says and turns her back to him, wiping a tear from her face once he isn’t looking at her anymore. She can’t tell him why; can’t tell him she loves him because she’ll never be able to look him in the eye again if she does. It’s better if she just goes, so she can deal with this away from him, without Desi giving her those knowing looks while Mac remains oblivious. She keeps packing furiously, willing herself not to cry. She doesn’t want to go. She wants to stay here, she wants to belong here, with Mac. But she doesn’t, not with Desi around. Mac made his decision a long time ago and Riley keeps telling herself she has to accept it. 

“Did Desi say something?” Mac asks suddenly, voice going from desperate to angry so fast Riley’s head spins. 

“No, Mac. Desi didn’t do anything.” Riley says honestly. Desi doesn’t treat her badly, she’s so nice to Riley it hurts, despite the fact Desi has long since figured out Riley has feelings for Mac. 

“Then what is it, Riley? Please, just tell me so that I can fix it. Because you’ve been acting so off lately, you’ll hardly even look at me, let alone speak to me, so what is it?” Mac says, taking a few steps towards her. 

Riley tapes off a box and shakes her head. “Stop, Mac. It’s nothing, okay? It doesn’t matter. It’s better this way, I swear.” She says, tapes off another box. She’s almost done, and the sooner she can get out of here, the better. 

Riley’s heart aches because it’s just not fair. It’s not fair that Desi gets to have everything she wants. Riley is not the kind to wonder if she isn’t good enough, has always known she’s amazing in her own right, but this has her wondering what Desi has that Riley doesn’t. Sometimes it hurts so bad she wishes she had never met Mac, but she doesn’t ever mean that, because no matter what, Mac is her best friend. She wishes her mom was here, wishes Jack were here to take her for pizza and Skee-Ball and make it all better, but she’s all alone, picking up the shattered pieces of her heart every time she sees Mac with Desi. 

“How is this better? We’re barely even friends, Riley, and we used to be best friends.” Mac says and suddenly he’s right behind her, too close, Riley feels suffocated. 

“It just is, Mac, Jesus!” Riley yells, throwing her arms up in the air and turning to look at him. “I don’t know what you want from me.” 

Mac’s jaw clenches and he looks away from her, crossing his arms over his chest. “You know, Riley, you used to tell me everything. You used to trust me. And I don’t know what I did that made you stop.” 

“I still trust you, Mac.” Riley backtracks, trying to keep Mac from thinking he’s done wrong. 

“Then why won’t you just tell me what’s wrong?” Mac raises his voice. 

“I love you!” Riley yells back, clapping her hand over her mouth as soon as she does. 

Mac’s expression changes completely, goes soft, and Riley can’t look at him anymore. 

“There? Happy? That’s what’s wrong. I love you. And I can’t stay here because it hurts. Watching you love her like I want you to love me makes me feel like someone is ripping my heart out.” Riley says through her tears as she tapes the last box. She carries it to the pile she’s made by the door. 

“Riley,” Mac says softly and Riley half laughs, half sobs, shaking her head. 

“Don’t, okay? I don’t need you to break my heart any more than you already have.” Riley says, grabbing her bag and her phone off the counter. “I’m gonna go, Boze will come by and pick this stuff up soon.” 

She hears him call after her as she shuts the door, sees him run out onto the porch as she pulls out of the driveway, and she makes it all the way out of the drive before she falls apart, tears falling fast down her cheeks. She calls Bozer and tells him what happened, and he agrees to meet her at her new place, doesn’t ask questions and Riley is more grateful for that than Bozer will ever know. 

\-- 

By the end of the night, she and Bozer get almost everything unpacked. Riley thanks him and he hugs her, makes her promise to call if she needs anything and Riley promises. Once Bozer is gone, she’s alone, thoughts of Mac already running rampant, so she does everything she can to distract herself. She orders take out and drinks wine, she organizes her dressers and then her video games, both by color, but nothing helps. She can’t get the look on his face out of her mind. 

She goes on like this for hours, desperate to get him off her mind, when someone knocks on her door close to midnight. She figures it’s Bozer, he’d been so worried earlier, and she wants to be annoyed but she’s thankful for the company. 

Riley opens the door with a smile, but it falls fast when she’s met by Mac on the other side. 

“Hey,” Mac says, hands tucked deep into his pockets, “can I come in?” 

Riley swallows hard and nods, stepping aside to let him in. 

Mac steps inside and looks around. “Nice place.” 

“Thanks,” Riley says as she closes the door. 

Awkward silence hangs between them for a while before Riley breaks it. 

“What do you want, Mac?” Riley asks, going back over to finishes washing the dust off the dishes that had sat unused since she’d been living at Mac’s. 

“I broke up with Desi,” Mac says, walking up to the counter across from her. 

Riley drops the dish she’s holding into the sink in shock and flushes red when Mac smiles at her. 

“Why?” She asks, not wanting to feel any kind of hope. 

“You know why, Riley,” Mac says, voice barely above a whisper. 

Riley shakes her head, drying a bowel and setting it aside. “Seems a little extreme,” 

“Almost as extreme as trying to move out without me knowing,” Mac says with a wry smile, moving around the counter to stand next to her. 

Riley doesn’t say anything, pointedly ignoring him. It’s hard, because she can feel the heat, smell the cologne she loves so much, can feel him staring at her. 

“Riley,” Mac says softly, “please look at me.” 

Riley gives in, looks up into those baby blue eyes that make her feel weak, and sighs. “Don’t look at me like that,” she says. 

“Like what?” Mac says, hand scooting closer to where Riley’s is resting on the counter. 

“Like you feel the same way,” She says and looks away. 

“Maybe I do.” Mac says and Riley’s head snaps up in shock. 

“You don’t mean that, Mac. And I don’t need your pity.” Riley snaps and jerks her hand away, turning to put away dishes, the ceramic clattering with the force. 

“Riley, it’s not pity. I mean it.” Mac says and grabs her shoulder, turns her to face him. 

Riley looks into his eyes, scans his face for any tell. “You mean it.” Riley deadpans. 

“Yes, Riley. I know that I was with Desi, but I was just... clinging to the familiarity. How I feel about you kind of snuck up on me and I was afraid. And then everything kind of went to hell, and I needed you too much to risk losing you because of my feelings.” Mac explained, hands twisting together like they do when he’s nervous. 

Riley looks him over again and she realizes he’s being serious, and she has to laugh. “For someone so smart, you’re really an idiot sometimes.” She says and then she pulls him in, catching his lips with hers before he can say anything. 

Mac’s hands find her hips and he presses cool fingers into the warm skin there. He pushes her against the counter, smiling against her mouth. He pulls away and leans his forehead against hers, eyes sparkling. 

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to that,” Mac says softly and Riley laughs, running her fingers through his hair. It’s product free, soft and a little curly, the way she loves it, and she can’t resist twirling it around her fingers. 

“I have a pretty good idea,” Riley says, leaning up to kiss him again, slow and deep. Mac sighs into the kiss and lifts her up onto the counter, sliding his hands over her legs. They stay there like that for a long time, getting a feel for each other, until they’re both aching to breathe. 

Mac pulls away, looks at her with so much love Riley can’t help but smile. He pushes her hair from her eyes and smiles back, wide and bright. 

“So...” Mac starts, fingers playing gently with her hair, “I know you just moved in. But when the lease is up, will you come back?” 

Riley nods immediately. “Of course,” she laughs softly. 

“Good. Doesn’t feel like home without my girl.” Mac says and kisses her forehead, lingering for a moment. 

“Did Desi...Did she take it okay?” Riley asks quietly, worried she’s driven a wedge between the three of them. 

“She said she knew for a long time. She was upset, but she’ll be alright. It’ll take some adjusting for all of us, but it’ll be okay.” Mac assures her and she nods. 

“Now, let’s not talk about her anymore. I’ve waited years to kiss you and I plan on making up for as much of that time as I can.” Mac says with a smirk and Riley giggles. 

“You better get started, then.” Riley teases and he lifts her up, carrying her to the couch. 

“Yes, ma’am.” Mac says lowly before his lips are on hers again. 

\-- 

They call in sick the next day, Mac makes breakfast, and Riley thinks, for the first time since the Phoenix got back together, that she and Mac just might end up okay.

**Author's Note:**

> hope you guys enjoyed!


End file.
